blackberry flaugnarde

Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for
Picking. Then red ones inked up and that hunger
Sent us out with milk cans, pea tins, jam-pots
Where briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots.

-Seamus Heaney

I rarely dream. It's none too surprising, given that most of the time I can't seem to sleep long enough to dream.

[Insomnia is a cruel mistress, though one that has led to me bookmarking quite a number of recipes I hope to try in future, since clearly I have little else to do at 2am than skim through cookbooks when my mind refuses shut off.]

But sometimes when I do dream, they're recollections. Of course, I'll have the odd one where I'm a wolf sprinting through the Mines of Moria and end up at the Sultan's palace kickin' it with Aladdin [true story], but occasionally I'll wake up with flashes of memories playing before my eyes, with my mind trying desperately to reach out for them before they dissolve.

Walking along the beaches in Sicily. Sitting under the jasmine tree in my grandmother's front yard with a book in hand. Weaving in between the Douro Valley with the vineyards and river waltzing past. Having a conversation with an old friend, perched on armchairs in half-lit rooms with mugs of coffee and knit blankets, residual ache of nostalgia when I wake up.

During the academic year, I don't dream at all. I also sleep far less then than I manage now, so it's unsurprising. But here at the apartment, with nothing but the quiet sounds of cars driving in and out of the complex and peaceful hum of the ceiling fan at night, I've found myself dreaming more than usual. I don't mind it, but it only leads to endless musings.

[Though, since I'm back to working full-time, I welcome the musings. They break up the monotony of quality assurance checking and keep my mind away from pining for food.]

As of late, the musings have been of summertime. Aside from the heat, I adore summer. Italian countrysides, Portuguese rivers, Spanish beaches, Pakistani rooftops under summer stars. Farmer's Markets, peach-picking, sunbathing, napping. Long days, lazy mornings, afternoon rainstorms, warm nights.

It's rejuvenating in the best way imaginable.

With the start of August came the start of Ramadan, one of my favorite times of the year. Not that I particularly enjoy the fasting aspect of it [it's mainly the thirst that's uncomfortable], but then again, the point really isn't to enjoy it. Rather, it's incredibly spiritually energizing. I love it. I feel peaceful. Content. Like there's no reason to worry about trivialities.

But even aside from Ramadan, I love this time of year because summer's coming to an end. I'm sad to see the season go, of course, and definitely not in the right mindset at all to start reading David Hume and Spanish literature, but from a gastronomic perspective, it's beautiful.


Peaches in all their rosy hue lining the stalls at the Saturday market, bright summer squashes springing up like daisies, scarlet tomatoes glistening in the sunshine, berries waiting to be blended with yogurt and honey for smoothies, crisp apples beginning to make their appearances in orchards, the scents of oregano, parsley, and tarragon wafting through market aisles and carrying with them countless menus for summer dinners.

Quite suitably, I purchased some blackberries this weekend. Though, since they were purchased along with strawberries, blueberries, apples, and plums, and since I am, in fact, the only one making use of the fridge, I may have overestimated my ability to eat all of this fruit prior to their going-off. But I hate seeing seasonal produce go to waste cannot, in any right state of mind, allow seasonal produce to go to waste, and so I decided to bake. [Duh.]

Blackberry Flaugnarde 
A bakedbeen original

You'll need:

• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp agave
• 1/3 cup almond flour 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter and flour a 9-inch glass baking dish.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in vanilla, salt, and agave and whisk until blended. Add in the flour and incorporate. Finally, add in the milk and heavy cream and mix thoroughly.

Pour about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture into the prepared dish. Place the blackberries evenly across the base of the dish. Pour the remaining filling slowly on top of the berries. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the custard is set. Let cool 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle confectioner's sugar over top the flaugnarde. Serve warm, with a dollop of sweetened cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Blackberry flaugnarde. A pretty, delicate, French dessert, on the cusp of being a flan. Flaugnardes are basically clafoutis, though clafoutis are exclusively made with cherries [hence the alternate name]. Semantics aside, flaugnardes are baked custards, eaten warm and absolutely brilliant on solitary summer evenings when berries are in season and there's little else to do besides watch episodes of No Reservations and Doctor Who. The dessert is divine, beautiful in its presentation and charming in its simplicity. I think a peach and cinnamon flaugnarde would be lovely, as well; perhaps something to try later this season.

I had to remind myself, constantly, not to nibble at it while it was in the process of being made, since there was still daylight out and I was still fasting. Definitely the biggest challenge of this Ramadan so far.

And I'm sure once this over, I'll be dreaming about it. Perhaps the nostalgia will have me baking it again quite soon.

As for the rest of the weekend, I'm thinking about paying a visit to the orchard nearby, pick up some more peaches and see if any apples have decided to pop in yet. And after that... perhaps a very long nap.

Yes. Definitely a very long nap.

In other news, earlier this week I discovered that the second season of Sherlock has been pushed back, from this autumn, to May 2012. This can only mean two things:

1. I am most certainly going to fail my spring finals, and
2. I may actually expire from broken heart before then.

Really, though, there are only so many reruns of a three-episode series I can watch before my heart pines for more. [Needless to say, this already happened after about the fourth rewatch, a few weeks ago.]

Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, what are you doing to me?!

summer weekends & peach-berry cobbler

My first week back has drawn to a close, and with it ends my first week working part-time and interning. It's been relatively nice, despite the 9-5 days [which end up being more like 8-6, but nuances], and I absolutely adore Cville in the summer.

Not the heat, of course. I can't stand the heat. [To its credit, though, it's not humid here, which is a welcome change from back home.] Rather, it's the sheer peacefulness that's lovely, and it's really pleasant to drive through the small city with trees and mountains encircling campus.

My internship is somewhat tiring, simply because I spend 3+ hours with children between the ages of 6 and 10 first-thing in the morning, and being around them makes me feel a) old, and b) old. Old because I'm about a decade+ older than all of them, and also because I don't have nearly the same amount of energy as them.

[Something I could really use on school mornings.]

But they've been adorable, and after about two days became really comfortable with us interns and Profesora. We celebrated our week of Spanish teaching/learning with a cute little fiesta, which was a nice way to begin a Saturday, and a really nice way to spend an internship.

Nevertheless, I'm very much enjoying my weekend (well, half a Saturday and Sunday) off. Chelsea came down to visit, and we had a marvelous time catching up.

And cooking.

Since we are basically two of the biggest foodies on the planet.

Who enjoy nothing more than strolling through Whole Foods and thrift shops, planning out our life of travel with Anthony Bourdain in the background, and wasting away hours chatting over coffee at cafes downtown.

Our marvelous dinner of spaghetti tossed with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, and roasted potatoes dipped in homemade pesto. Plus an amazing brunch of Egyptian ful this morning, prepared by Chelsea. We are so gastronomically spoiled for college students. And I love it.

Chelsea has been playing the vegan-game as of late, and so we stuck to a vegetarian dinner. I myself am not huge on meat anymore, so didn't mind in the least.

I was somewhat more skeptical about dessert, though [dessert was a given], without the use of any eggs or dairy.


But, you know, we persevered. Quite splendidly, might I add.

Peach-Berry Cobbler
Adapted from Chef Chloe

For the dough, you'll need:

• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the filling, you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, chopped [we used 4 large donut peaches]
• 1 cup assorted berries [we used blackberries and raspberries]
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a large, shallow casserole dish.

To prepare the dough, combine all dough ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Be careful not to over-mix. Set aside.

Toss chopped fruit with the sugar, flour, and cinnamon, and pour into the casserole dish. Spoon lumps of dough on top of the berries. If desired, brush the top of the dough with a bit of almond milk and sprinkle sugar liberally over top. Bake for about 45 minutes, until dough is evenly cooked and lightly browned on top.

Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened cream.

We didn't have any vegan ice cream or cream on hand, unfortunately, so we just enjoyed it plain. I would definitely recommend eating it with either of the two, though, because by itself the cobbler is quite hearty and tangy.

Nevertheless, despite the cobbler being vegan, it's absolutely delicious.

And, to be honest, we preferred it the next day, after letting it sit in the fridge overnight. It tastes sweeter and more refreshing, and was a delicious afternoon snack before Chelsea left for home.

As for me, I'm alone at the apartment once again and plan on spending the rest of the evening (re)watching Sherlock and eating leftover pasta and cobbler for dinner.



I anticipate an excellent night.

{DBC} marquise on meringue

It's not actually the 27th quite yet; in fact, it's only the 16th. But since I won't be in the country then, this month's DBC was completed ahead of time, and I've written up this post early to submit on the 27th [Valencia time].

Moving on, I visited Tommy earlier today for our monthly DBC bake-date, and had a lovely time creating this month's challenge: chocolate marquise on meringue.

Chocolate marquise is a French dessert akin to a souffle, though much more dense, consisting of whipped cream folded with egg yolks and a chocolate base sauce. The challenge for this month was to create a marquise and serve it atop torched meringue, and to offset some of the sweetness of the meringue and richness of the chocolate marquise, Tommy and I opted for a mixed berry compote.

[This is one of those desserts for which you'll have to undo the top button of your jeans.]

The actual challenge recipe seems somewhat daunting, since there are so many parts to it, but it's pretty simple over all. I'll give you the recipes for the marquise and the meringue [both of which are a quarter of the full quantity], and as for sauces, you can use any you'd like. The given sauce was a tequila caramel sauce, but I thought caramel might have been too heavy. So instead, we went with a mixed berry compote. Tommy had also suggested white chocolate sauce, and fudge or any other sort of berry sauce would work just as well. It's your prerogative.

Chocolate Marquise on Meringue
Adapted from the May Daring Baker's Challenge
Yields 6 2x2-inch cubes

 For the chocolate base, you'll need:

• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate (about 70% cocoa)
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tsp heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tbsp agave syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• dash freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp butter, softened

For the chocolate marquise, you'll need:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp water
• chocolate base, barely warm
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

For the meringue, you'll need:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• pinch of cream of tartar

To prepare the chocolate base:
Heat whipping cream and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Remove and stir the chocolate until it melts. If need be, heat for an additional 10 seconds, but be careful not to over heat. Stir in remaining ingredients and set aside.



To prepare the chocolate marquise:
Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. Beat egg yolks and egg on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 10-15 minutes. When the eggs are getting close to finishing, make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring the syrup to a boil, and then reduce heat and cook for an additional 45-60 seconds. Lower the mixer speed and quickly pour the sugar syrup into the eggs. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until the bowl is cool to the touch, at least 8-10 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, and pour the cooled chocolate base into the egg mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten the batter, and then fold in the remaining cream, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Pour the marquise into the prepared pan and cover the top [directly touching the marquise] with plastic wrap, making sure that no air bubbles are trapped underneath. Put in the freezer and chill for 3-4 hours [if possible, 6-8 is ideal], until marquise is firm.



To prepare the meringue [do this when ready to plate]:
Preheat the broiler in your oven. Beat egg whites, sugar, and vanilla on high speed until soft peaks form, 5-7 minutes. Add in cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently scoop a generous amount of meringue onto a heat-proof plate. Stick the plate under the broiler, watching it carefully, until the top of the meringue turns a golden brown. This will happen very quickly, so it's important to keep a close eye on the meringue. Remove from the broiler and allow the meringue to cool for at least 5 minutes.



To assemble the marquise on meringue:
When ready to plate, remove the marquise from the freezer. While it's still hard, remove it from the pan by pulling on the parchment 'handles' or by flipping it over onto another piece of parchment.

Cut it into cubes and allow the cubes to sit in the fridge to thaw slowly, about 10 minutes. Once softened, roll the cubes in the cocoa powder. These will start to melt almost immediately, so make sure the plated meringue is on hand. Arrange the marquise on top of the meringue [but handle as little as possible, as these can get very messy] and drizzle with sauce or compote. Place the plated marquise in the fridge and wait until they've softened completely before serving.

In all honesty, the quartered recipe only called for 1/16 tsp of cayenne pepper, but Tommy accidentally added 1/4 tsp [following the original quantity]. Needless to say, I loved the extra heat in the chocolate, so I've kept the 1/4 tsp measurement. But if you're more sensitive to heat, then by all means reduce the quantity. I wouldn't suggest omitting it completely, because it gives the marquise a very intriguing depth of flavor that is far too unique to forgo. We also broiled the meringue rather than torching it, because (1) we didn't have a blowtorch on hand, and (2) we wanted to give the meringue a more even tan. It worked out just as well.

Ours also turned out somewhat messier than it should have...because we waited approximately 2 hours for the marquise to freeze instead of the minimum 3. In future, if I prepare this, I will probably allow it to freeze for the full 8 hours simply for ease of cutting and handling. But the 2 were more than enough for us, and it was still amazingly decadent.

As for next month's challenge...there is almost a guarantee that I will not be participating. However, I promised Tommy I would send him the challenge if he's interested in whatever is selected for June. If he likes it, he has offered to prepare it, in which case I'll update with the challenge post on the 27th and give all credit to him for participating for me.

And as long as it's not something I've been dying to make, I think I can handle a month without baking.

It might even be a welcome break.

[I anticipate suffering withdrawal symptoms two weeks from now.]